Electric exercising apparatus.



No. 852,193. PATENTED APR. 80, 1907.

' A. B. MGMILLAN.

ELECTRIC EXERGISING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION I'ILBD APRA, 1906.

ARCHIE B. MCMILLAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC EXERCIS'ING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed April 4,1906. Serial No. 309,877.

T0 at! whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIE B. MGMILLAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Exercising Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in the electric muscular exercisirvT apparatus described in U. S. Letters lFatent Number 629,909, dated August 1st 1899, issued to me, in which an exercising cord is passed over the pulley of a small magneto-electric generator and the currents generated in the latter are led through the exercising cords and the body of the person exercising.

The object of my present invention is to l simplify the apparatus described in above Letters Patent and I accomplish it by means of a combination pulley and commutator, or moreproperly speaking, a. 1d as it will hereafter be called, combination pulley and armature short-circuiter, said combination device performing the functions of pulley, armature short-circuiter and collecting ring, obviating the use of three separate devices as hitherto, also their brushes and the Wear and tear incidental to same. I also arrange the electrical circuit in such va manner as to obviate the use of switches and, further, provide a simple means of varying the strength of the generated current, all of which will be hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a plan view, half actual size, of my improved exercising apparatus as it appears when fixed in position on the wall. Fig. 2 is a side view, full size, of the generator, in section through the center of the combination pulley and armature short-circuiter. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view of the combination pulley and armature short-circuiter. Fig. 4 is a front sectional view of the same, and Fig. 5 is an end view of the grip part of handleK Fig. 1.

In Fig. l, A is the permanent magnet of a small electric generator, mounted on a wooden base Y. A is a section of same pivoted at one end so at to be adjustable inward to any desired angle, B is a thumbscrew on which the adjustable section is pivoted and which locks said section in any position to which it may be adjusted. The object of this adjustable section is, by moving it out of the direct magnetic circuit, to reduce the number of magnetic lines passing through the armature,and thereby reduce proportionally the strength of the current, the larger the gap in the magnetic circuit the weaker the current. When the section is adjusted to right angles, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, all the magnetic lines passing through it are practically shortcircuited. This enables. the person exercising to reduce the electric shocks to any desired degree.

The armature is of well-known single coil type. One end of the coil is connected to the shaft C which is ournaled in the bearings D, D, and the other end to the combination pulley and armature short-circuiter E which is mounted on but insulated from said shaft by a sleeve of insulating material F. A metal pin G, Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4, passes diametrically through the center of the pulley and shaft, being insulated from the pulley by insulating sleeves H, H, but tted tight to the shaft thereby making connection with one end of the armature coil.

The exercising cords, J, M, are bare flexible conductors attached at one end to bare coiled wire handles K, L, and at the other to metal terminals P, N, respectively, their looped ends being loosely suspended thereon. Terminal P 1s a blind one but terminal N is connected to the bearing D thereby making connection with the end ofthe armature coil connected to the shaft.

Cord J passes over the pulleys E and T and cord M over pulleys R and S. Elastic bands U, V, are attached at one end to a common staple in or near the floor and at the other to pulleys S and T respectively which are sus pended by and free to follow the movements of the exercising cords. The pulley R is suspended from the baseboard Y by a screwhook and is not electrically connected to the generator.

The operation of the apparatus will now be seen to be very. simple. The person exercising, hereafter termed the operator, in grasping the handles completes the generator circuit which may be easily traced starting from the end of the armature coil connected to pulley E thence through cord J, operators body, cord M, terminal N, bearing D and shaft O to which the other end of the armature coil is connected. Therefore whenthe o erator pulls on the handles, or handle K albne, the armature is rotated, alternating currents generated and the operator expe- IOO IIC

riences a series lof strong shocks. Similar shocks are experienced when the armature is rotated in the reverse direction by the reaction ol' the elastic bands. The pulley E is thus shown to perform two functions; 1st,

' its natural lunction as a pulley, and 2nd,

from such a toy generator is of a very low E. M. F. and utterly useless through such a high resistance as that of the human body.

To produce a high E. M. F. suilicient to pierce this high resistancel and give strong shocks .l employ the armature short-circuiter l@ which in its action confines ,the initial generated current to the armature by keeping the latter short-circuited except at two short intervals in each revolution when it opens the shortcircuit and, being adjusted to do so at the moment oi 'maximum magnetic iiux, a high E. M. F. of self-induction traverses the outer circuit, which is always intact, and gives the operator a strong 'momentary shock at each opening of the short-circuit. In practice, with the rapid rotation of the armature the Iresult isa quick succession ofstrong inter vmilitent shocks. Y

vThe action of the pulley-armature shortcircuiter E can :be clearly seen by reference to Figs. 2 and 3. It has been explained that one end of the armature coil is connected to theinsulated4 pulley E and the other to the insulated pin through the shaft C." In the,v

relative position shown in' Fig. 3 it will be 4seen that the conductingexercising cord electrically connects the said pulley with the said pin thereby short-circuiting` the armature coil and keeping it so all the time the pin isin contact with the-cord'. ln Fig. 2 the pin is free from the cord and the short-circuit is broken until the-op osite end of the pin comes into'contactwitll the cord, when the armature is again short-circuited. The outer circuit is never broken. The combination pulley-collecting ring and' armatureshort-circuiter E therefore performs eiiicientl the'functions of these threefdevices and o viates the use of brushes and rubbing contacts.- The, handles -K, L, are 'each formed of two -lengths of stiff Wire, one ofv the lengths woundin a single hollow cylindrical coil of preferablvgreater diameter in the center t ends of thecoil being formed into an axial loop, as shown at K in Fig. 5, for the purpose of providing bearings for the two ends of the other length of wire. This other wire an at the ends, the wi-re at both.

is curved in a semi-circular shape extending and fitting into the axial loops at either end of the coil and held therein by a tension purposely imparted to it. This wire is also curved, at its middle part, into a small loop for the convenient attachment of one end oi' the exercising cord.

ln connection with the apparatus l pron vide a footplate lV which is a thin sheet ol metal oi' suitable size capable ol' being rolled up into a small compass when not in use, and connect it to terminal N by means oi` a ilexible conducting wire X. To use the 'lootplate the operator stands on it bare-footed and transi'ers the looped end of wire M from the terminal N to terminal P thereby disconnecting it i'rom one end of the armature coil andconnecting it, through cord J, with the otherend. This places t'ne exercising cords, and also the operators arms, in parallel circuit and, when exercising, the electric currents divide at the pulley passing along cord J in both directions, and the cord M, to the t'wo handles, thence through the arms, trunk and legs of the operator and reuniting at the iootplate return to the generator along the wire X, or vice versa. 'lhe simple arrange nient of. transferring the loop oi wire M from terminal N to terminal F obyiates the employment of a switch 'lor rearranging the electric circuit.

' Ajilanged extension E ol the pulley-short circuiter E is provided solely as a safe connection between the end. of' the armature coil and the pulley itself so that in event oi the exercising cord slipping olT the pulley it will be caught on said extension and thus be prevented irom/breaking oli the armature wire connection which would invariably be the case if the armature wire were connected direc-t to the pulley without protection.

The principal feature of my invention above described is the combination pulley and" armature shortcircuiter E which in its essential construction comA rises a pulley having two insulated con ucting contact f y points set in its periphery, diametrically opposite each other and anyform of construction other than thathereinbefore described, embodying those essential features must necessarily 'come within the scope of vthis invention. In one form I construct it with a sim ple pulley, minus the extension, and instead oi' having a pin right through the pulley and shaft I insert two insulated pins through the Iside of the pulley, parallel with its axis, diametrically opposite to each other near the periphery of the pulley, so that in turning the groovein the pulley the pins become cxposed similar'to what they appear in Fig. l.. The pins reject slightly on one side of' thc pulley and) are electrically connected to the shaft thence 'to one end of the armature coil.

'.lhe pulley is insulated from the shaft and connected to the other end of the armature coil, the. electric connections in this torni be i ing precisely the saine as in the other.

.it is not essential that the insulating coni ducting points in the pulley should be connected to the shaft; they may be connected l directly to the armature winding, but inasy much as the end ot the Winding is connected i to the shalt ior the purpose ot conveying curl rent to the outer circuit through the bearings without the medium of a collecting ring and brush, it is preferable to connect them to the i shai't. .l may use a vtlat grooved pulley in i conjunction With a flat exercising` cord, or i strap, ii'l desired. For the elastic bands, U, i V, I may substitute metal springs or weights, ,F or any other suitable resisting device.

Having now particularly described my inl vention, l desire to secure Letters Patent i i`or2- y l. The combination in an electric general tor tor exercising apparatus, of' a iield magi net, arotatable armature, a pulley 'fitted with two insulated conducting contacts in i its periphery at diametrically opposite points, said pulley being mounted on, but insulated from, the armature shaft, one end of the armature winding connected to said insulated pulley and the other end to said insulated comino-ting contacts, and an exercising y cord of conducting material for the operation i of said pulley, substantially as set torth.

2. The combination in an electric exercisi ing apparatus, ol a 'held magnet, a rotatable i armature, an insulated pulley on the armai ture shaft, a conducting pin passing dialnet* rically through the center of the said pulley i and shatt, said pin being in Contact with the shaft but insulated from the pulley, the ends oi said pin appearing flush with the pet riphery of said pulley on opposite sides thereoi", one end of the armature winding coni nected to said insulated pulley and the other i end to said armature shaftthereby making i connection with the insulated pin, and an exercising cord of conducting material for l the operation of said pulley, substantially I asset forth.

3. The switching arrangement et the elec 1 tric circuit comprising' the looped ends oiE the cords J', M, and the terminals N, P, adapted to receive and hold said looped ends in suspension, said terminal N having electrical connection uhh the tootplate and one end of the armature uinding and said terminal P having electrical connection with the other end ot the armature ninding through the medium ol cord J, whereby by the transfer ot cord M from terminal N to terminal P the cords J, M, are changed from series to parallel circuit, substantially as set forth.

4.1111 an electric generator for exercising apparatus, a iield magnet having an adjustable section, saidseciion pivoted on and adapted to be locked in di'll'erent positions by a suitable screw, tor the purpose and substantially as set iorth.

5. ln an electric exercising apparatus, a

grip handle formed oi two lengths oi bare une, one of said lengths being Wound in a single cylindrical or barrel shaped coil and terminating in a small axial loop at either end, the other length ot u ire suitably curved to 'torni a semi-circular bridge between the ends ot said coil and provided in its middle part with a suitable loop for the convenient attachment ol" a bare uire exercising cord and the ends oi said Wire bent inward at right angles to lit into the said axial loops, substantially as set tor-th.

6. In an electric generator for exercising apparatus adapted to be operated by drawing an exercising cord over a pulley mounted on the armature shaft, a pulley for the reception ot said exercising cord, said pulley being formed of conducting material and provided with tivo conducting contacts inserted in and ilush with the periphery of said pulley at diametrically opposite points, said conducting contacts being electrical] f connected together and insulated from said pulley, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ARUHIE B. MCMILLAN.

/Vitnesses:

P. J. MIDGLEY, Jas. O. SWORD. 

